ISLAMABAD: The Centre for Afghanistan, Middle East and Africa (CAMEA) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), Pakistan office, organised a one-day international conference titled “Pakistan in a Transforming Geopolitical Environment.”
Mr Murtaza Solangi, Spokesperson for the President of Pakistan, was the chief guest at the inaugural session. The speakers included Dr Amina Khan, Director CAMEA; Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, Chairman Board of Governors, ISSI; Mr Felix Kolbitz, Country Director, FES Pakistan; and Mr Arno Kirchhof, Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Islamabad.
In his welcome remarks, Ambassador Khalid Mahmood said Pakistan was situated in a regional and global environment undergoing rapid change, where strategic competition was intensifying, regional alignments were shifting and conflicts were creating broader political and economic consequences.
He noted that the distinction between traditional and non-traditional security challenges was becoming increasingly blurred. For Pakistan, he said, these changes were not abstract developments as they had a direct bearing on the country’s security, economy, diplomacy and regional outlook.
Ambassador Mahmood said Pakistan’s location gave it strategic significance, but also placed on it the responsibility to pursue a balanced, careful and forward-looking foreign policy. He added that Pakistan’s approach had consistently been rooted in dialogue, peaceful coexistence, respect for sovereignty, regional stability, economic cooperation and connectivity.
Dr Amina Khan, in her introductory remarks, said the annual CAMEA-FES conference continued to encourage deeper dialogue and understanding of shared challenges and changing regional dynamics. She said Pakistan was located in what had often been described as a “tough neighbourhood.”
She observed that the region continued to face a complex mix of traditional and non-traditional security challenges, further complicated by geopolitical rivalries, great-power competition and prolonged conflicts. At the same time, she said, the region had considerable potential for connectivity, economic integration and shared prosperity.
Dr Khan said that in a period of profound geopolitical transformation, sustained dialogue and regional cooperation remained essential for building trust, advancing connectivity and promoting lasting peace and common prosperity.
Addressing the conference, Mr Murtaza Solangi said the event was both timely and significant as it brought together experts from around the world at a highly consequential moment. He said the world was passing through a transformative phase marked by a shift from a unipolar to a multipolar order.
He said the order created after the Second World War was collapsing and major global powers were developing their own spheres of interest. Pakistan, he added, was today positioned at the intersection of several transitions, including unsettled Pakistan-Afghanistan relations and a rapidly changing global order.
Mr Solangi said these were among the most consequential years for Pakistan. He stated that last year’s India-Pakistan war and the continuing conflict between the United States and Iran affected Pakistan. He said Pakistan maintained good ties with the GCC, China and the United States.
He said Pakistan had attempted to reposition itself and contribute to peace in a volatile region. Pakistan, he added, sought peaceful and stable relations with Afghanistan and had historically stood with the Afghan people. He said Pakistan would not want Afghanistan to become a global sanctuary for terrorism.
Mr Solangi said Pakistan welcomed mediation by China, Turkiye and Qatar regarding its relationship with Afghanistan. He also said Pakistan was interested in trans-regional connectivity. He described Pakistan’s defence pact with Saudi Arabia as part of a broader agenda to improve ties with the GCC, while adding that Pakistan had a very sound relationship with Iran.
He said security had become transformative and Pakistan faced several challenges, including pandemics, natural disasters and other issues. He concluded that Pakistan’s foreign policy rested on strategic balance with regional neighbours and proactive diplomacy.
Mr Arno Kirchhof cited the European Union as an example to express optimism about the functionality and sustainability of the rule-based world order, despite continuing challenges. He identified key areas where Pakistan could establish and strengthen its partnership with Germany and other European countries. He also emphasised the need to further enhance trade, investment and human resource exchange between Pakistan and Germany.
In his remarks, Mr Felix Kolbitz praised Pakistan’s recent global diplomatic manoeuvring in the region and beyond as remarkable. Referring to Pakistan’s role in successfully brokering a peace deal between Iran and the United States, as well as concluding a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia, he said Pakistan had emerged as a net security provider for the region.
Pointing to Pakistan’s unique geography, Mr Kolbitz identified major challenges confronting the country, including water and climate security and transnational terrorism. He said these were shared challenges requiring a collective strategy and a shared response from the global community.
The conference schedule included three separate working sessions: “Afghanistan, Central Asia and the Future of Regional Stability,” “Pakistan and the Middle East in a Transforming Geopolitical Environment,” and “Non-Traditional Security Challenges Across a Changing Regional Landscape.”
